Saturday in Fiji: Lush plants, cockroaches, & two temples—they have it all here

Crazy. We arrived in Nadi, Fiji at 5:30 am. This place is pretty amazing, and very different. My parents greeted us after we cleared Customs. It was nice to see them again and glad they could have us visit.

From the moment you land, you can tell you’re in a different land. It is humid, warm and everything is green! It is so lush. The people are great and very kind. At the same time, when Blaire saw a cockroach in the airport restroom, we knew this wasn’t America anymore.

The food is very good. We had a great continental breakfast at their hotel before we headed back to Suva. The food was much better than the flight. I ate a lot of food and thought to myself that I could stay here for awhile. I dig this food. On our way back, we stopped by the Sri Siva Subrahmaniya Swami Temple. It is the largest Hindu temple south of the equator. It was very beautiful and the people were very nice. The temple had so many vibrant colors and designs. We got a nice tour and were taught about Shiva.

Our guide was very nice, but their beliefs are a bit confusing. As he told us things, I thought back to my world religions class. They just complicated things a lot. There were all these gods and people everywhere…even as he spoke he seemed a bit confused at times. We told him what we believe. You have a Father in Heaven that loves and cares for you. His Son, Jesus Christ, died for your sins. God wants you to be happy and return to him. That is pretty much it.

We had a great time there and the Hindu people are very sweet. About 60% of the people here are Native Fijian, 30% Indo Fijian, and the other 10% of Caucasian descent. Unfortunately, there are still rifts today between the Indo-Fijians and the Fijians. The Fijians own all the land and the Indians own all the commerce, so they struggle to get along. Racism exists outside of the U.S. also.

It was cool to get back on the road. I love driving in foreign countries, here is no exception. They drive on the left side of the road and on the right side of the car. There really aren’t any rules, so it is so cool!

Just outside of the airport and Nadi there are lush fields. There are rising mountains and green trees all around. It really is a paradise. It seems like anything can grow here. A senior missionary said this place is like a Petri dish. I think she is right.

As you cruise down the road, you see cows, horses, pigs, dogs, all just hanging out. People usually (but not always) tie them up just right next to the road. People are walking everywhere, vendors are selling fruit and vegetables on the side of the roads, and of course, all the roads pretty much stink. But all in all, it was one of the most entertaining rides I’ve ever been on, really cool.

Fiji is pretty poor, but it doesn’t look it. I mean, it is hard to explain, but even when things are a bit sub-par, it still looks nice. I don’t know if it is because the people are so nice, but even in the bad areas, it is still a pretty place.

Suva, the largest city and capital of Fiji, has just fewer than 300k people in it. It is a great city. It has breathtaking views and a lot going on. We arrived at the mission home in the afternoon.

I soon noticed that people are very quiet here. Even in Suva, it is so calm. Maybe it is because Americans are so loud, but everywhere you go it is calm and quiet. And at night, it is pretty dark. They don’t have a lot of lights. But then again, with scenery like Fiji, I’m not complaining.